Bolt not closing???
 

I have had this problem before and still never got it fixed, yet. My bolt will not fully close when I chamber a shell that I have reloaded. I full length sized the shell, cut case to just under specs, seated bullet to specs (or just under) and still the bolt won' t close. I have tried numerous things, but to no avail.

I was wondering, how far does your resizing die go down on your case. Does it go all the way down, or does it stop about a 1/2" above the primer? I have taken a pic of a reloaded shell (top). My dies stop at the line (where the pen is pointing). Is this normal, or is it supposed to resize all the way to the bottom of the case? It seems to get really tight in my gun near the bottom of the case. Someone please help me with this one. Thanks.

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

LA:

I had the problem you describe. I spoke (& typed) with dozens of reloaders and got responses from " bad dies" to " case bulge from a compressed load" . What ended up being the problem was that I had my seating die just a touch off. The COL was still in spec, I did the full resize, et al, but the improperly positioned die caused my cases to " bulge" .008 at the shoulder and would not chamber.

Hope that helps.

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

You should have your F.L. sizing die adjusted to touch the shell holder when the press ram is in the full up position. However, if you are sizing cases you have fired, F.L. sizing should not be required. If the case dia. is too large you would not have been able to extract the case. The case dia. springs back from the chamber wall after firing a slight amount and therefore can be easily extracted.

That being said, you may have a problem with the case length to the shoulder growing a bit too long. After a number of firings, the brass work hardens and does not spring back as it should. This is normally corrected by F.L. sizing, but is not done when a case is neck sized only. If the F.L. die is not touching the shell holder, you are only neck sizing the case.

This can be checked by using a .45 cal. pistol case and a caliper. Place the .45 case mouth over the neck of the problem rifle case so it sits on the shoulder. Measure the length of this combination to establish a reference length. Now make the same measurement on a new case. This length should be shorter as a new case is made short enough to fit the shortest chamber allowed for that cartridge. Now F.L. resize the problem case and see if the shoulder length has shortened at all. If it has not moved and you had the die all the way down to the shell holder, you have a defective F.L. sizing die. It can be corrected by the maker or replaced.

I had this problem once with a 6mm/.284. I used the above method to prove the problem was in the die, and the manufacturer removed .005' without question. They said the shoulder should move back .001" ' to .002" on a long case of this type to allow easy chambering. Hope this helps.

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

I had the same problem with my 223.
I had the same problem as ColoradoElk did. Some how my seating die moved just enough to caused a slight shoulder bulge. I reset my seating die & everything chambers.

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

Thanks for everyones replies. I don' t think my seating die is causing the problem. The reason I say this is because I measured between the reload and the factory shell, and the dimensions of the neck and shoulder were exact. So I don' t think it is that.

westbronco,
can I check the shoulder length w/ a .38 special case. That is the only other pistol case I have? will it work the same.

Thanks.

I measured the differences between the reload and the factory and they were almost identcal. The only place they differed was by the " shiny" part. (where the pen is pointing). The reload was .003" bigger. Would that small amount make a difference?

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

LA, A .38 will work OK, but might be a bit harder to keep lined up. I liked the .45 better as it located nearer the midpoint of the shoulder and was more stable.

The .003" increase you describe is a sign of rather high pressure. How hot is that load, and does it extract easily? I would think you would be having extraction problems. Also would like to hear if you found any need to lower your sizing die to touch the shell holder.

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

LAHUNTER:

Does the cartridge chamber if you neck-size only with a neck-sizing die? If it does, your full-length die is not adjusted right or it is defective. If a fire-formed case chambers, but after you full-size it does not, it is die adjustment or a defective die. Good luck.

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

I loaded up 16 shells last night and 12 of them fit perfect, ( checked them in my rifle). The ones that did not fit right had a small bulge near the bottom of the case. I will finish loading them up tonight and see what happens. If it doesn' t work that will mean that it is my seating die. Right??

Thanks.

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

LA, It may be that some of your cases are a bit long and the crimping portion of your seating die is deforming the longer cases. That would be a new one on me. Usually, cases deform at the top of the case at the shoulder junction if they deform at all. Check your case lengths and trim as required.

You also may want to chamber each round after sizing to make sure they fit at that point. Try them again after seating a bullet. If they won' t chamber then, it is surely the seating die. There is always a reason and a solution. Good luck.

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

LAHUNTER,

As already stated a full length sizing die should touch the shell holder and the ram " break over the top" with a little feel. This will result in a case that has been returned to original specs. With the die above the shell holder, the case is " partially resized" . That portion of the case that is not sized actually increases in size and will prevent the bolt closing. Even a neck sizing die should be adjusted in the same way. Your problem is quite common when an attempt is made to neck size with a full length sizing die. I hope that this is of some help. Have a good weekend.[&:]

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

Guys, I just took some pics of what my full length sizing die looks like when the handle is all the way down. Does it look normal?
Also the other pic is what the shell looks like when I am finished. Can you see the color difference. Is the die supposed to stop resizing right there? Does all this look normal? Sorry about the poor quality pics. They were from a plam pilot.

thanks,
LAHUNTER

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

According to the instructions from the set of Lee Dies I own, you are to turn the die 1/4 to 1/3 turn more after you touch the shell holder. It looks normal to me send the dies back to Lee. Good luck.

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

LAHUNTER,

The " color" difference may have nothing to do with your die. When a round is fired, the case expands against the walls of the chamber and loses it smooth appearance. From the photo, I think that is what' s indicated. There is also a second point illustrated. About 1/4" in front of the extractor groove, there' s a bulge. This is also a normal occurrence. A case wall tapers in thickness for its entire length. The rear, or web, section of the case gets pretty thick when compared the the thickness of the case even 1/2" in front of the extractor groove. This results in the case expanding at a different rate as pressures climb. The thicker the case wall, the higher the pressure required to cause it to expand. When the chamber is on the large side, it may cause quite a bulge. The closer to the extractor groove this bulge is located, the higher the chamber pressure.

It is hard to tell from the photo, but I think your die needs to be just a little lower. If the die just touches the shellholder, that' s not deep enough. Loosen and raise the locking ring. Lower the die until it is snug against the shell holder. Size a fired case and try it in your rifle. If the case chambers with just a little feel, your done. If it doesn' t, turn the die deeper in 1/4 turn steps and size the same case until it does chamber. Then run the case into the die and adjust the locking ring. This should solve your problem. Good luck. [&:]

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

Good news and bad news.

First off, thanks for everyones help on trying to help a newbie with reloading. With everyones help, I think I have my FL resizing die working properly. I simply adjusted my FL sizing die " in" a little more. Lee' s instructions told me turn the die between a 1/4 and a 1/2 turn, neither of these worked for me. I took someones advice and simply turned it furter in (5/8 turn past the shellholder). I tried it on some of my problem cases, and those now chamber smoothly in my gun. I am gratefuly for everyones help, again. That was the good news.

The bad news is, I found out first hand what happens when you don' t use enough lube. I knew I should have lubed that case! I now have a stuck case in my resizing die. (I will chalk this one up to inexperience/stubborn headedness). Won' t do that again. I tried to remove it first w/ pliers, then I drilled the primer pocket out and still nothing. Does anyone have any tips on getting a stuck case out?

I can' t wait to get past all the problems and stupid mistakes, so I can actually start enjoying reloading. Does anyone know the warrenty on LEE dies? If not, does anyone have any old .270 dies that anyone is willing to part with at a decent price?

LAHUNTER

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

Just call Lee and ask them. They will probably tell you to return it for repair without charge. Then it' s only postage. Most companies in the reloading business are very helpful. Do not dig around in the die and scatch it. Also get a can of spray lube, a neck cleaning brush and some Imperial Die Wax. The IDW is especially good for heavy duty sizing or just neck sizing where you don' t need to lube the whole case.

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

LAHUNTER,

Aw gawd! Been there and done that. I think anyone who has loaded for awhile has. RCBS offers the stuck case extractor set for less than $15. Works like a charm. Good luck.[&:]

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

The rifle you are loading for is it a SAVAGE?

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

Try this....full length resize your cases and see if they will fit in the chamber at that stage. If they do and they don' t after seating bullets, there' s clearly something wrong with your seating process.

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

I finally have everything working right. I bought some new redding dies and they arrived last night. I was wondering if I was having problems with my old dies (lee rgb), so I went ahead and bought some good dies, (after sticking a case in my lee' s). They arrived last night and after carefully reading their instructions and going through each procedure in the reloading process, it was now time to try and fit the completed cartridge into my gun. Same problem as before, trouble closing the bolt. After trying this I eleminated my dies as the cause, and started thinking what it could possibly be. After examining the bullet on the cartridge, I noticed some marks on my bullet. I went back to my reseating die and seated my bullet a little deeper until I could easily close the bolt. They work perfect now. I was setting my OAL to what the reloading books was recommending, and I never thought to second guess them. It was a very simple fix after hours of headach and also spending extra money on new dies.
I am glad everything is working right now. Now maybe I could start to try and enjoy reloading. Thanks for everyones help.


troy r.
I have a ruger m77 MarkII, .270.

RE: Bolt not closing???
 

I ran into this my self. My oal was to long. Now I check oal first before I do any thing else. Then one time I wasn't paying any attention and I turned the seating die down alittle too much. And I bulged the shoulder just a tad they wouldn't
let the bolt close. This does happen I guess this is why reloading is so much fun.
I guess what I am getting at is you can't be to careful. Get a good pad and put
reloading greaase on it roll your cases across it they go into the dies a lot easier.be sure to wipe the grease off after reloading.

I too reload for an Ruger 77mk11 270:D

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